Gift Guide : Books on Simplicity

Posted on December 8, 2017

He said :

“You read an excessive number of books on minimalism. What an oxymoron ! ”

She said.

“There is a certain kind of music that helps you deeply experience the silence.”

We, the humans, try to simplify for different reasons. We care about the environment. We live in tiny spaces. We are allergic to clutter. We choose quality over quantity. We don’t want to participate in the game of consumption. We found equilibrium and peace. We found happiness elsewhere. Yoga. Community negated the need to look for happiness in things. We want to be frugal. We are saving up for a better life. We are preparing for a calamity/war. We have been through a recession. We want more discipline …. For what ever reason, I will always argue that there is a lot to be gained from this school of thought. Books about minimalism needn’t be a discourse on our relationship with things. It can be a philosophy on living that eventually leads to minimalism. That kind of wisdom is a more fool proof than a decluttering methodology. Those are the kinds of book I adore. If I were to design a curriculum, it would look like this :

Stage 1 :

FOR THE UN-INITIATED. PLANT THE TREE.

Minimalism is not about things we don’t have or have. On the outer shell, yes, our relationship with our stuff needs to be addressed. Yes, the shell has to be broken into to get to the more substantial part. Its a start. These books try to crack the shell.

I personally don’t like this book. If I read it 3 years ago, maybe I would have found it useful. It screams throw, get rid & let go. The after math of this book has been the interchangeable usage of words : decluttering / minimalism – which I find dangerous. But to the people who don’t have a habit of parting with anything and think of donating an unused item as a loss, this book might help. To the people who are overwhelmed by their stuff, it might give a fresh start. I believe there is a lightness of being that comes from less possessions. Once you see the benefits, its hard to go back. This book gives us the permission to part with things.

I would gift this book to the people in my life who are hoarders and to the ones who are terrified to declutter.

This book speaks at a very low level and uses every day anecdotes to convey the message. Its a story of how the author’s life improved after he stopped buying, stopped upgrading, stopped making decisions ONLY for the sake of money, stopped hoarding, started decluttering …. It’s minimalism 101 with lot of practical advice.

I would gift this book to the ones who are curious as to why the “M” word is trending but are too afraid to dig into it.

This would be a great starting point to any un-assuming soul. There is something in there that strikes a chord for even the most materialistic person. The author chases quality of life and learns to say ‘NO’ to clutter. This book was my first. If my introduction to minimalism was from a view point of a spartan life that resembles poverty, I would have run the other way. She packaged it as a high quality life and I immediately signed up. I wanted the nice (second hand) things that come at the expense of buying less.

I would gift this book to the upper middle class/wealthy people in my life who live the typical consumeristic lifestyle. The ones who love their stuff and would never give minimalism a chance.

This book is like a walk through a museum. The walls have these pretty paintings. Each painting has a message. The message is loud and clear, without being preachy. Its thought provoking. Its inspiring. Its relatable to all of us.

Sometimes, we consume out of a habit. That is what we are used to. That is what we see around us. We are a product of the people we surround ourselves with after all ! This book addresses the habit.

A perfect gift for the pre-teens/teens. Bleed them early.

Stage 2 :

GROW THE ROOTS. BOOKS THAT BECOME YOUR FLESH AND BLOOD.

If we are still talking about things – buying/getting rid, its still scratching the surface of it all. But sitting down to figure where else to find the happiness is the crux of the solution. Without that, you could relapse and fall into a buy&cull pattern of consumption masquerading as minimalism. These books address the core of the issue. Digs deeper. Take us to uncomfortable places. Asks those hard questions. Shows us alternate lifestyles :

I LOVE this book. I would gift it to each one of you if I could. The title is incredibly cheesy, but … 12 authors, 12 chapters, pure wealth. If I were to recommend only one book from this list, let it be this one. Its easy to read. Each chapter genuinely made me happy and taught me something. It put emphasis on human relations. It had amusing stories dug out of the history books. You can read the introduction here. Tell me if you are not intrigued.

Florie of La nife en l’air, one of my favorite blogs, now retired, would reference this book a lot. Said she was inculcating it chapter by chapter. I was stuck in a decluttering bubble for an entire year. When the english translation of this book dropped, I could discover a whole life/lifestyle philosophy for myself. It covers each aspect of a lifestyle and talks about finding the essentials that improve the quality of it. Concentrates on what is, instead of what isn’t. If simplicity is the ultimate sophistication, this book really tries to help.

Stories of 10 individuals celebrating life by following their passions. We dont hear such stories anymore because they would have been branded as not worldly enough and simpleton. This book reminds me of the lives lead by my ancestors, as I remember it. They keep the good aspects of rural living and live rather modern lives.

Stage 3 :

WHEN THE STUDENT IS READY, THE TEACHER WILL APPEAR.

Minimalism is not always packed as a decluttering technique or a spartan life. It can be a by-product of finding a passion that consumes you so much and gives you infinite happiness. A great happiness that makes stuff irrelevant. Makes it easy to let go and do the needed. I am ready to learn. I see the philosophy embedded in all of these books as a background score.

This is my favorite book of all time. I re-read it and will never get over my love for the protagonist, Larry. He is an ideal human, in my landscape. The M word is never used, but we see Larry’s life change as he lets go of layers of needs that the society taught him he needed. What’s left is a man who pursues love and knowledge.

Thoreau was on the extreme end of the spectrum. Some even speculate that he died young because of malnutrition. Its definitely not a text book for living, but if you love nature / hike / camp, you can identify with what he writes. Its a classic for a good reason. He managed to slow down time to an extent that he gets to single out and meditate on the beauty of a single raindrop from the storm.

If you met me before this book, pre-2013, I would have been a tad cocky about my abilities. I definitely was participating in this show off-y ‘look at me’ sort of asana competition. The right clothes, the right asana sequence, the right authenticity, the right lineage of teachers, … I would give advice to people/judge other about yoga while being an amateur – just because I did one hour of asana per day. I would show off the poses when people were looking. “Watch, look what I can do”, were once uttered from my lips. A real master, the father of modern yoga, then came along and put me in my place. Made me understand. He lead a life dedicated to heeling people. He had enough knowledge to customize a yoga routine to a students physical markup and mental needs – a lost art in todays world. Shunned the external markers that serve no purpose. Had an admirable intelligence combined with wisdom. Preached what he lived. Minimalism was ingrained in him by his teachers, in the name of discipline. You spend decades of your life dedicated to learning in monk like conditions to become a brahman. When fame came to him, he continued to live the same lifestyle. Shunned the riches. Simplicity became a part of the life he lived and the philosophy he taught.

A book I would add to the high school curriculum if I can. Cooking is the wonderful science experiment. Throw out all the recipes and learn the techniques. You can cook any vegetable after this sort of training. The easiest techniques and any seasonal ingredients can make our everyday food. This books is exactly that. Beans get a lot of romance and glory. Capers are celebrated like diamonds. A good salad is a essential. Learn the basics. Mix, match, have fun. The way she peels off the layers, discards the excess and teaches the essentials made me fall in love with making food. When designing our lives, this approach helps.

Can you be great without being good ? What is necessary in life to be good ? How important are ethics – personal and professional ? This book is a case study on the man. He is an investment wizard and the Warren Buffet’s silent partner. When we think of essentials, its not the right set of things. Its a set of principles. Once they are learnt, everything else will fall into place. This book requires a lifetime to be understood and implemented. Should be read the way a religious book is read.

FOOL PROOF GIFTING :

Ask them if they want any of the books. Nothing is sadder than unread unappreciated unwanted books on minimalism collecting dust in an attractive cluttered home library.

If a bunch of friends can pick out a few of the books and rotate them for the rest of the year.

If your local library carries them, get a few for the recipient. Offer to return the books back to the library when they are done reading. One less chore for them.

Ebook. Amazon lets the receiver of the gift reject the book. If they already read the book, you can get them something else.

Second hand books. Encourages circular economy. Older the books get, more they get read, more charming in appearance they become.

Question of the week :

Heard of these books ? Read any of em ? Any recommendations ? Do you also look for undercurrents of minimalism in your favorite books/philosophies (Stage 3) ?

Do we need to buy stuff to help us stop buying stuff ? Books on Simplicity for instance.

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24 Comments

( It depends on the phase of life we are in. Some of us need the lessons/books. Some of us don’t. )

I would argue a big YES when it comes to books. I find it necessary to have a guiding philosophy in life. It should form the core of our fundamentals. It should help up set our ethics and morals. It should be an under current in our habits. I can not pick one blindly and follow it like a religion. I would like to acquaint myself with various points of view. Then pick and choose what I want to take home. I don’t see books as money wasted or things entering a home. Its knowledge. Some books need to be read over and over again till they become flesh and blood. That is how I learn.

I have read most of these books. Some, like The Abundance of Less, were from your recommendation. I am not really a fan of Walden. I know it’s one of the classics of simplicity and there are some wise words in there, but Thoreau himself was not fully into the simple life and country living. Like one of the people interviewed in The Abundance of Less said, Thoreau is just a tourist, not a resident. Still, Walden was pretty well written and quite inspirational.

Personally I am not really on board with traveling, especially with planes. It is not compatible with sustainability. A lot of people in simple living also think of traveling as if it is above other form of consumption. It is still consumption, one with a big carbon footprint, even. Not saying that people have to stop traveling, but thinking critically about it is a good start.

Archana, this post comes in a good time. I recently quit my job and went to my Grandma’s small town to take a break. I want to read more now that I have a lot of time. Journaling. Helping Gran with cooking and gardening. Maybe learn to sew too. I really need this down time. I am grateful I can do it.

I think Thoreau, even before his stint in the woods, has living that sort of lifestyle where he would retreat into the woods for hours/days. That book is intense. As I read it, I had to close it screaming ‘its changing me. its changing me. I like my materialistic self. I wont let it go’

Agree with you on air travel. One flight from New York to San Fran, and my footprint is more than an average Indian family during the entire year. If we can replace travel with slow travel in the book, I would approve of it a lot more.

I took some time off when I went to India last year. It did me good. Glad you get to recharge and spend time with family.

Archana,it would be perfect if my friends were reading your post
I love to read,have read some of this books and am looking forward to read the rest
I’ve cherished books very much and was happy to have them and re-read my favourite ones many times. More than twenty years ago I decided to read a book,give it to my mother to read (we are both avid readers) and then send them “to the world”, give them to my friends who read them and give them to their friends etc……without returning (The trigger was that during this period of time ,some libraries were destroyed,first due to the war and than in floods-donating my books,among other things ,made me very happy)
I read mostly e-books,but my mother doesn’t,so we are still buying or borrowing paper books
In this world of consumerism,I’m very simple about gifts,give me a book and I’ll be very happy-it doesn’t have to be a new one from the shop-but outside my family ,this happens rarely, unfortunately
Dottoressa

I have read only the first book, which I didn’t like all that much. My focus on ‘need’ began with exploring ecopsychology though, and particularly Andy Fisher’s work, which focused a lot on shame, and how culture tries to inspire us to buy because of a need to be more. i found it quite hard when I first realized how deeply I’d bought into that, or had beliefs that computers helped with writing rather than processing, or other thoughts I had. No Logo influenced me quite a lot as well, because it looked at the underside of iphones, or fast fashion, and the harm that came because of it.

Moving away into a more minimalist life hasn’t been as hard as I thought it would be, because I started to realize what I did actually love, and that was different. I still have too much though, and moving to a small space has taught me this. I’ve realized how much I can still reduce, and how little I do actually need. It isn’t actually all that hard to live a very basic life, although I used to think it was before.

All in all it’s been a process of learning to let go, and I do think a philosophy helps, but the emotional process is quite a big thing as well, because for me, it went against almost everything I’d been taught. I’d learned that the most successful people have the most, and are therefore the most admirable, and all kinds of other beliefs which I’m now re-viewing. Quite a positive change, but extremely intense.

I’m not the author of the original comment obviously but some people see Thoreau as a dilettante or a hypocrite because Walden was close to town and he would visit it frequently. So, his stay there was not quite as wild and isolated as it may come off in the book. When he did go into the real, deep wilderness far from the touch of humans he wrote in his journal that he didn’t like it much. I think the original poster might have been thinking of this article, which explains how Thoreau gets all the attention for doing what many other people of lesser means and social status were doing (by necessity rather than choice, as in his case): https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/10/opinion/thoreaus-invisible-neighbors-at-walden.html?_r=0 I like that the author brings attention to people forgotten by history, but knowing more background about Thoreau and his context doesn’t undermine his character or take away from the message of Walden for me. It is one of my favorites.

I see. I looked up online after I got this comment. There was an article on him using an axe which is a privilege of the civilization. He had help from his neighbors. He was white and hence he is inherently privileged when compared to the black people at that time. ….. Well, I am sure that he is a product of the civilization and uses the tools at this disposal. But he could still slow down time to the extent that he did and live as simply as he could. That is something for me.

On that note, when I first started reading Ariana’s blog ( http://www.paris-to-go.com/ ), I used to nitpick on her. I used to use “what-about-tism”. Your denim has 2% stretch. Its not fully natural fiber. You bought second hand t-shrit from H&M, a fast fashion retailer. You live in a place where there is nice soap. etc etc. Now that I am trying to do some of the things she does, I realize how hard it is to do half the things. She is only human. I cant measure myself at the standard I do and measure her at 100% best possibility. Its just not fair. Like you said, the message of Walden and his meditation on the little things are something I wouldn’t have learn any place else.

Lessons from Madame Chic and Walden were my gateway drugs into minimalism. The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up was another one, though I honestly picked and chose what worked for me in it and disregarded the others.

An Everlasting Meal is also one of the books close to my heart that I reread to enjoy the words and underlying lessons. It’s so lyrical, and the recipes help me in my own cooking.

With minimalism books, I appreciate how they help people from all walks of life especially with the different approaches they take. But I find in my case, there’s a point where you read a lot of repetitive stuff in different books and you just have to start acting. They’re great inspiration though! Is it the same for you, Archana?

Unfortunately, I am one of those people who likes revising their basics all the time. I sit down and re-learn the math & engineering that I learnt years ago. Things click/dots connect when I implement something and go back to read the fundamentals. With time, we have different experience and can read the exact same sentence with a different point of view. I sat in a high school lesson on gravity recently. And other concepts like waves and dark holes started to become clearer.
When I used to teach, i would start the class with what was taught in the last two. It helps with learning I think.

Ofcourse, there are people who can grasp it once and for all, and can use it well. There are a few concepts that dont have as much depth and neednt be revised. I put all the stage 1 books in the no need for repetition category. Stage 2 & 3 books, I want the re-enforcement learning. Like you say, all this learning is only contingent upon action. Absolutely !

Thank you Archana for sharing your thoughts, i really enjoy reading your blog. My favourite book (but i am afraid it’s not available in english): “Der Weltenwanderer” by Gregor Sieböck (www.globalchange.at)
and also great: “To have or to be” by Erich Fromm. I think you would like both.

And a terrible Translation from a german saying, that will be my Motto from now on: “Nothing is too little to suffice” (Nichts ist zu wenig was genügt)

So much love for this post. Although, it seems that every new post is an absolute favorite. I have always love books. I read a couple on the list, and will probably hunt down the others, either as ebooks or preloved copies. The one by Charlie Munger was a surprising addition, one that I appreciate since I had no idea Charlie wrote a book. Thank you for such a beautiful summary, I have never came across a list with so many books I must read.

The first two books can be found as audio books on youtube ( for now ). Charlie Munger’s book is not really written by him but is a case study on the man. Its got a comprehensive compilation from every speech he has given, interview with his children as to his method of parenting to teach them work ethic, interview with people he works with who share stories of how he did the right thing when times were hard, Q&A, …. that sort of thing. Its in the format of short story followed by some discussion. I LOVE this book.

What a great post! Some of the books I’d heard of and even read, some are now on my reading list. I get so happy every time you update, Archana! Wishlist post: a similar post on style books. I’m looking for an inspiring book on denim/indigo (history, style, a personal take on the subject-ish), have you read any that fit the bill?

Oh no ! That was the original post I was working on. A gift guide for folks who like personal style books. Then switched thinking nobody would want to hear that from me. Will see if I can get it out before xmas.

And yes, i do : There is a book called Fugutive denim which is more from a view point of sustainability. There are these Japanese magazines called LIghtening magazine. You can find it on amazon as a kindle version. They have some AMAZING in depth treatment on denim with lot of history and research. 300 pages of photos and text. Then there is a book called Indigo, textile process which is more of a coffee table treatment to the process with nice photos. Will try to get that post out.

Thank you for this. I read L’art De La Simplicite because of one of your previous posts and reference it frequently. It’s a beautiful book. I’ll happily dig in to some of your other recommendations soon.